Tennis-court marker.



E. A. ROBINSON. TENNIS COURT MARKER. APPLICATION FILED r3341 PatentedJune lA/l/E/VTOR [Evil 7. foam 50,

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS FDR.

EARL A. ROBINSON, OF EMPORIA, KANSAS.

TENNIS-COURT MARKER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL A. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Emporia, in the county of Lyons and State of Kansas, havemade certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis-Court Markers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for marking the lines oftennis courts and other purposes, and has for its object to produce asimple, cheap and eflicient implement which may be used for marking offon the ground the necessary lines,

boundaries, etc, of tennis and other courts,

and one which can be readily filled with the marking material and whichcan be used on even surfaces.

My invention consists of a hollow roller having a spiral conveyertherein, for caus ing the marking dust or material to travel toward oneend of the roller which is perforated to permit exit of the marking dustor material.

My invention consists further of a hollow roller closed at both ends andprovided with means for charging the roller with the marking dust ormaterial.

It consists further of a hollow roller closed at both ends and havingrows of perforations adjacent to one 'end to permit exit of the markingmaterial.

It consists further in certain novel features of construction,arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointedout in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete marking device, Fig. 2 isa vertical longitudinal section of the same, Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section of the roller, Fig. 4c is an end view showing thepivoted gate for closing the filling orifice, Fig. 5 is a similar Viewshowing the gate opened to expose the interior roller.

In carrying out my invention I use a cylindrical roller A having a soliddished head A at one end and at the other end a segmental dished head AThrough the center of the cylinder extends an axle B which is rigid withthe heads A and A the ends B B of the same projecting beyond theaforesaid heads A and A Pivotally mounted on the end of the axle Bwhich. projects beyond the segmental head A is the gate C, which is alsosegmental in shape Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 9, 1910.

Patented June 7, 191d. Serial No. 542,871.

and of sufiicient area to cover the opening A in that end of thecylinder, the gate being dished and fitting snugly against the head A sothat it will remain in place when closed or open. The gate has asuitable knob or handle 0 thereon for manipulating the same.

Within the cylinder and rigidly connected thereto is a continuous spiralrib or fin D extending from the head A toward the closed end A butterminating some distance therefrom. From the point where the spiral ribor fin D terminates to the end A of the cylinder I rovide thecylindrical wall of the roller wlth circumferential rows of perforationsa as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

E is a yoke of rod iron, having eyes e@ which are sprung over the endsBB of the axle B, said yoke being secured in the long handle F as shownin Fig. 1.

To use my invention the powdered lime or other substance which is to beused for marking, is placed .within the cylinder through the end A andthe gate, 0 swung over closing the opening A the roller is now placed onthe tennis or other court and pushed along by the handle F. The limewill be carried toward the end A by the spiral rib or fin acting as aconveyer until it reaches the circumferential rows of perforations awhere it will be discharged on the ground in an even line. Enoughmarking material may be placed within the cylinder to completely lineand mark out .a court at one filling, in fact, the larger the load ofmaterial carried, the more smoothly and evenly the cylinder will roll.The opening A in the end of the cylinder will be about one-third of thearea of said end so that there will be plenty of space for filling thecylinder and rendering such operation convenient and rapid.

The spiral conveyer rib or fin D feeds all the marking material, to theperforated sec tion of the cylinder, thus obviating all waste.

I claim:

1. A marker for tennis courts and the like consisting of a hollow rollerhaving a circumferentially perforated section adjacent to one end and aspiral conveyer within the cylinder for conveying the marking substanceto said perforated section.

2. A marker for tennis courts and the like consisting of a hollowcylinder and headed ends, an opening in one end for charging thecylinder with marking material, a section adjacent to the opposite endof the cylinder having circumferential rows of perforations and a spiralconveyer within the cylinder for conveying the marking material from thefilling end to the circumferentially perforated section.

3. A marker for tennis courts and the like consisting of a hollowcylindrical roller adapted to travel on the ground, heads at each end ofthe roller, one head having a filling opening, a closure therefor, asection of the roller adjacent the opposite head of the roller havingcircumferential rows of perforations, and a spiral conveyer within thecylinder for carrying the marking material from the filling end to theperforated section, and means for propelling the roller.

4. A marker for tennis courts and the like consisting of a hollowcylindrical roller and heads at each end, one end having an opening forcharging the roller with marking material, a gate controlling said opening, a section of the roller adjacent the 0pposite head havingcircumferential rows of perforations, and a spiral rib or fin secured tothe inner circumference of the roller and extending from the chargingend of the roller to the perforated section.

5. A marker for tennis courts and the like consisting of a hollowcylindrical roller, an axle extending therethrough, a handle mounted onthe ends of the axle, heads at each end of the roller, one head havingan o aenin throu 'h which the c linder may be l a: g l

charged with marking material, a sliding gate controlling said opening,a section of the cylinder adjacent the opposite end of the same havingcircumferential rows of perforations, and a spiral rib or fin project-.in' from the inner circumference of the cy inder and extending from thecharging end of the cylinder to the perforated section.

6. A marker for tennis courts and the like consisting of a hollowcylindrical roller and dished heads, an axle extending through saiddished heads and rigid therewith, a handle pivotally mounted on the endsof said axle, an opening through one of said dished heads, a dished gatepivotally mounted on said end and controlling the opening therein, asection of the cylinder adjacent its opposite end having circumferentialrows of perforations and a s iral conveyer rib or fin projecting inwarly from internal circumference of the cylinder and extending from thecharging end of the same to the perforated section.

7 A marker for tennis courts and the like, adapted to contain a powderedsubstance, consisting of a hollow roller having a circumferentiallyperforated section adjacent to one end, and a spiral rib or fin securedto the inner circumference of the roller to convey the powderedsubstance to the perforated section.

8. A marker for tennis courts and the like, adapted to contain apowdered sub stance, consisting of a hollow roller havingcircumferentially disposed perforations adjacent to one end, and aspiral rib or fin secured to the inner circumference of the roller andextending to the aforesaid perforations to convey the powdered substanceto said perforations.

9. A marker for tennis courts and the like, adapted to contain apowdered substance, consisting of a hollow roller having adjacent to oneend means for charging the roller with the powdered material, andadjacent to the opposite end a circumferentially perforated section, anda spiral rib or fin secured to the inner circumference of the rollerfrom the feeding end to the aforesaid perforated section.

EARL A. ROBINSON. lVitnesses ELMER C. CoLPITTs, G. 7. HURLE Y.

